Spinoff Stories -- One Day at a Time (Article X)

Social relevance ran rampant across CBS in the 70's, and Norman Lear crafted another piece ode to feminism in One Day at a Time, centered on a recent divorcee raising two daughters as a modern woman. Where ODAAT is an anomaly is as its fad genre of social relevance took a nosedive in its 2nd season, and the series delivered strong until its last season. CBS toyed with a last-ditch effort to center a spinoff on leading character Schneider in 1984, ultimately passing on the premise as sitcoms went out of trend in mid-1984 (and came back in the fall with The Cosby Show's arrival). Years later, the series awoke from the grave via a reboot.

The Original Hit Machine -- One Day at a Time (1975-84)

One Day at a Time spent 9 lavish years dressed across the CBS lineup and somehow remained a top-20 player for its first 8 seasons despite 11 disgraceful moves. The core cast revolved with timeslot changes with several members coming and going. Despite the frequent changes, viewers enjoyed following the escapades of the Cooper/Romano ladies and their dynamic circle. ODAAT held a rich plethora of recurring characters as well, creating ample opportunities to spawn new sitcoms during its run. Interestingly, the network never pursued this phenomena until the very end.

The First Spinoff -- Another Man's Shoes (1984)

The cast of the tiring series decided to part after a lengthy, heralded run. Bonnie Franklin and Valerie Bertenelli walked away, but CBS gave Pat Harrington an opportunity to continue his antics as Dwayne Schneider. most of the cast bid adieu in episode 208, with episode 209 opening a backdoor pilot centering on Schneider assuming guardianship of his late brother's two children in Florida. The episode received tepid reviews, so CBS never bothered to pursue it further.

The Second Spinoff -- One Day at a Time (2017-Present)

Over three decades after ODAAT left CBS, Netflix announced intentions of rebooting Norman Lear's original series, at his tender age of 94. Initial responses drew criticism due to lack of originality. However, the debuting product reversed that cynicism as the modern version was rebooted around modern divorcee Nurse/Iraqi War Vet Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado) raising two teens and living in a tiny Miami apartment with her mother. Just as the original trailblazed in the 70's and 80's, the reboot grabbed social issues by the horn with depression, immigration, mental illness, sexuality and veteran issues coming front and center.

Tie-Ins

The only tie-in t the original was a loving cameo from Mackenzie Phillips, now managing her addiction issues and enjoying a guest-spot after an abrupt 1983 exit.

Why The Backdoor Failed and the Reboot Ruled

Although a series finale is an ideal time to launch a spinoff to enjoy beloved characters, One Day at a Time was tired and falling apart by its 9th season. Schneider made an excellent comic foil on the original series and could have carried a show, but tastes had changed by 1984.

The reboot distinguished itself by tackling Iraqi War Veteran issues head-on, speaking to a relevant time all whilst displaying a dynamic cast. Like the original, the issues are outward, yet never preach and demand its audience follow the views of the characters. One Day at a Time's reboot caught the right trend wave in 2017, as reboots are the rage.